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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

I have been tuning for awhile(over 30 yrs). I am no concert artist for sure, but I can play pretty well. Seems at this point in my tuning career, I would rather not play once I have finished the job. For some reason, I'm thinking it's going to appear to the customer I am trying to "show off", or that I'm being self indulgent. Plus I need to get the check and get to my next appointment. But lately, I've noticed customers seem really disappointed that I didn't play a song at the end. Some have even told me THAT is the only reason they had their pianos tuned.[to hear the song at the end]. And If I play something at the end, how much is too much? I don't know what other tuners do, but it would be interesting to find out.

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I usually play. Not anything real showy - mostly for my own benefit to hear how the piano sounds and touch up any interval or unison that needs it. If they ask, I'll play something longer or fancier occasionally. But I agree - by that point I'm usually ready to be done with the job and move on.

As the client, I really appreciated my techs playing. He's very good and I even picked up some playing pointers (he has a musical degree and used to teach). When he finished, he played a mini-concert for us. We could have sat for hours. One of the pieces was Debussy's Arabesque #1 and what a great piece to hear a piano really sing.

I think by your playing gives any owner a chance to hear his instrument played by someone who has a gift for fine tuning (and who cares how good you are)? So, yeah, I agree with the other owner's post, keep playing by all means, it's a pleasure........blob

I'm always embarassed by the fact that I have no memory for music. I have a lot in my repertoire but only with the sheet music, and it definitely feels like showing off if i get music out at the end. If there is sheet music there that I can play though, I will sometimes play that.

I always play a little bit although I'm actually a drummer. I know all my scales so I play chords up and down the piano. I have two song memorized, Minuet in G and O Tannenbaum for Christmas. People usually want more and then I have to confess that that's the only song I know!

I will sometimes play during the tuning, after I'm done a section I'll play a bit from a piece that fits there. Its almost like a final check before moving on. If there is time afterwards, I will play something unusual. Most pianists, pro or not, appreciate hearing their piano played by someone else. There is something good about hearing your piano from a location away from the bench also. Sometimes I'll suggest to a customer to try out the piano while I'm packing up, I enjoy hearing them play also and gives me an idea what kind of genre of music the piano's being tuned for.

I will sometimes play during the tuning, after I'm done a section I'll play a bit from a piece that fits there. Its almost like a final check before moving on. If there is time afterwards, I will play something unusual. Most pianists, pro or not, appreciate hearing their piano played by someone else. There is something good about hearing your piano from a location away from the bench also. Sometimes I'll suggest to a customer to try out the piano while I'm packing up, I enjoy hearing them play also and gives me an idea what kind of genre of music the piano's being tuned for.

Depending on the customer, I also suggest they try it out. I feel it gives them some buy-in to my work.

For no other reason than curiousity or enjoyment, I like watching people play. I mean if they take off like Jerry Lee Lewis playing encores, I would know that's probably at least 4 tunings a year, right?! blob

Greetings, Most of my customers are professionals, and there is absolutely no way anything I can play on a piano is going to impress them with anything but a deserved condescension.

OTOH, those piano owners that plunk around at home, some having started taking lessons again at 65 years, others having once played but now just rarely, and those that inherited the piano, can't play a lick, and always hope that anyone, and I mean, anyone, ( the friend that teaches, the kids that have just learned chopsticks, the nephew home from school, the piano tuner, the interior designer, anyone! ), will sit down at the piano and make some notes; these customers get a boogie, or a homemade ballad, or the worst rendition of "Tennessee Waltz" one is like to encounter out of me, and I can't play!

It doesn't matter. I have had too many of these customers tell me that as soon as they make the tuning appointment, they are waiting to hear what I doodle after I am done. They, after many years, consider it part of the job. Even though after 2 minutes and 18 seconds I begin repeating myself, it is a solid part of why I get called. I have no reservations about the quality of my craft as a tech, and no pretensions of being a musician. Yet, I have had customers comment on how beautiful the piano sounded after I had simply modulated around the circle of fifths. (Which I do, since most of these tunings are UT)

There is little musical about tuning the way I do. For most people, it is a technical bunch of sound, but when there are chords and melodies suddenly coming out of the box, something happens. They show up at the doorway and listen. I think that once I play something, I am a person they can more readily identify with.

Tune the piano, make some music. If the quality of the former is sterling, the quality of the latter doesn't matter.

Hi all - a good topic! For years and years, I've followed every tuning with a lively rendition of "Satin Doll." Customers are used to this and typically by the time I've finished they've arrived, checkbook in hand from another corner of the house.

As a practical matter, playing a bit helps catch things I didn't notice when I was tuning. As far as for customer satisfaction it helps to show the owner that the piano is indeed well in tune (especially when the customer can't play him or herself, and is having the piano tuned for children taking lessons.)

When I really enjoy playing is when I tune the pianos at the local nursing home. I'll follow up Satin Doll with a few favorites, such as "Stormy Weather" (which has been really appropriate this spring in the midwest) or "Ain't Misbehavin'". The residents listening are very appreciative of this - makes my job fun! I'll hang out for a bit, have a few cookies with them and visit. All good! Chuck

I pieced together a few-minutes medley of original to classical to pop etc. Just snatches, really, of perhaps a dozen or more tunes. Clients seemed enjoy guessing - e.g. - "was that a little bit of Gershwin I heard?" It was fun.